BREAKING: Real Madrid have stunned the football world by remaining completely silent after France Football announced the 2025 Ballon d’Or nominations — not a single word of congratulations to their own stars, let alone those from other clubs. Insiders say the silence stems from lingering resentment from last year’s scandal, when Real felt their players were unfairly treated and controversially denied the title.

Real Madrid’s usually vibrant media channels have fallen into a rare and deliberate silence. The announcement of the 2025 Ballon d’Or shortlist, typically a celebration of the sport’s best talent, has come and gone without a single official word from the Santiago Bernabéu. No congratulatory messages. No celebratory graphics. No acknowledgement of their own nominated stars—let alone players from other clubs.

For a club that commands one of the most powerful global platforms in football, such silence is deafening. The absence is not just unusual—it feels purposeful, calculated, and loaded with meaning. Fans and journalists alike have been left questioning the motive behind Madrid’s refusal to engage with one of the sport’s most prestigious award ceremonies.

This quiet resistance comes despite the fact that multiple Real Madrid players—some of whom have played pivotal roles in recent trophy wins—have made the shortlist. For these players, the nominations are a recognition of months of hard work, consistency, and brilliance on the pitch. But instead of being publicly celebrated by their own club, they have been met with a wall of silence.

According to insiders, this is no mere oversight or scheduling slip. Sources close to the club suggest that the roots of this silence go back to the turbulence of the previous year. In 2024, Madrid felt their players were unfairly treated, overlooked in favour of rival stars despite producing exceptional seasons. Privately, senior figures inside the club considered the process biased—perhaps even predetermined.

The sense of injustice from that episode still lingers in the boardroom. Many at the top believe last year’s outcome was not just a disappointment but a direct insult to the club’s stature and its contribution to the game. The frustration was not limited to the result itself, but to what they saw as a lack of transparency and fairness in the voting process.

This year, it appears Madrid have decided to take a stand. Their silence, according to those familiar with the club’s thinking, is intended as a statement—a way of signalling their refusal to endorse a ceremony they no longer trust. It is both a protest and a warning: Real Madrid will not lend their prestige to an event they consider compromised.

While other top European clubs filled their social media feeds with posts celebrating their nominees, Real Madrid chose the opposite path. This calculated absence is more than a public relations decision—it is a message to both organisers and fans that the club values integrity and principle over pageantry.

The silence also reflects a deeper truth about the way Real Madrid see themselves in the modern game. They are not just participants in football’s grand ceremonies; they are standard-bearers for the sport’s history, prestige, and competitive spirit. By staying quiet, they are making it clear they will not simply play along when they feel those values have been undermined.

As the debate over the Ballon d’Or nominations continues, Madrid’s absence from the conversation has become its own headline. Whether fans see this as a dignified stand or an unnecessary snub, there is no doubt the club has once again found a way to command attention—without saying a single word.

In the end, the 2025 Ballon d’Or race will move forward with or without their public blessing. But the silence from the Bernabéu will remain in the background, a reminder that in the world of football, sometimes the most powerful statements are the one